forstner bit advice

[Beretta]

the great spade vs forstner bit debate rages on.

ok so i hear about how great forstner bit's are, but i've got a few questions.

1. are they really needed for making control panels? i know they are suppose to cut cleaner then a spade bit but with the buttons bezel and the joysticks dust cover is a forstner really worth the money?

2. i can only find forstner bits with saw tooth design above 1inch, which is suppose to give inferior results to a smooth edge forstner bit.. the saw tooth bits look like hole saws to me, do they still provide a smooth cut?

3. where to get them? home depo and lowes have 1 1/8 forstners for about 13-14 bucks.
on the other hand i can get a whole set of spade bits for less then that.

there are some cheap sets on ebay i really only need 1 1/8 for the CP but if i can get a whole set for a little more off ebay i'd go that route probably.

i have a drill press so reguardles of what bit i end up using i'll be using it and not a hand drill.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220472887948

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250497231080

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110433168167

any advice?

EDIT: also which is good for drilling plexi spade or forstner? Or will both do?

[thecheat]

IMHO: The progression of bits from best to worst is: Forstner, Holesaw, Spade.

If you have a drill press, you can probably use any of them without a problem. I ended up going with a hole saw because my local HD didn't have 1-1/8" Forstners outside of an expensive kit.

The major plus over a holesaw is that the Forstner removes material from the core as it cuts, which makes the hole easier to cut. My holesaw was gumming up around the teeth when it was cutting through the MDF but there were no problems going through the plexi. The spade bit isn't really a graceful tool and while you could probably use one with good results in a drill press, the chances of cracking the very brittle plastic increase with the spade.

But really, if you can make the holes and they are accurate, who cares what you use to make them.

[Kman-Sweden]

You can even make holes in plexi with fostners. Just run them backwards.

[bungy]

Use a forstner bit.

Yes, you can get away with using the cheaper spade bit, but in the long run the forstner will give you less problems.  It is also more versatile; you can use a forsner bit to install inset hinges for your CP or access doors for example.

The forstner, even with the "teeth" on the edges will make a perfectly clean cut.  It is the best type of bit to use in wood and other softer materials (MDF).

Since you already have a drill press, I would recommend getting a set of forstner bits.  Lowes has a great 14 piece set (1-1/8 included) for 50 bucks:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=306070-70-PC1014&lpage=none
Home Depot has a smaller 12 piece set for $45.
The Porter Cable ones will probably last longer than the eBay ones, YMMV.

I used lexan to cover my control panel, and the forstner bit worked flawlessly with it.  I am not sure if there would be any problems with cracking if used on regular plexi, though.  I would assume the forstner wouldn't give you any problems, but try with a piece of scrap first.
I think I have done it successfully before, but I'm just not comfortable using a spade bit to cut plexi/lexan.

[severdhed]

i used a spade bit for my first few control panels, and they work OK, however when i made my latest one, i spent the money for the forstnet bit at lowes.  it made such beautiful, clean holes.  i was very impressed with it.  i dont know how well it works on plexi, since i cut my plexi with a router, however i can tell you that spade bits will destroy plexi.

personally, i say it is worth the cost...they make such nice holes.

if you are going to use a spade bit, don't drill the entire way through the wood/mdf...drill like half way through,  far enough so that the center point cuts through, then flip it over and drill the rest of the way.  it takes a little longer, bit it will keep the wood from splintering.

with a forstner bit, you dont have to worry about it. 

[Beretta]

ok i picked up a set for under 20 bucks on ebay.. probably not the best but hopefully good enough.. the ones at home depo and lowes are simply to expensive imo.

pentagon tools.. eh.. never heard of them.

[thecheat]

Be prepared for five-sided holes. 

ok i picked up a set for under 20 bucks on ebay.. probably not the best but hopefully good enough.. the ones at home depo and lowes are simply to expensive imo.

pentagon tools.. eh.. never heard of them.

[Beretta]

Be prepared for five-sided holes. 

*tries to pictures a 5 sided hole*....... *fails* 

[thecheat]

pentagon tools

[Beretta]

got'em today.. have'nt had a chance to try'em out though.. the 1 1/2 inch bit had a spot of surface rust on it..

what a let down

pretty sure it will clean right off some of it wipped off just running my thumb over it but it sucks finding rust on brand new bits.

anyway i'll hopefully get to try them in a few days and report back.
i've got some scrap wood from a pressed wood desk someone through out i hate pressed wood so this will be a real test of it's clean cutting ability.

sorry i totally missed that joke.. it's a good one had i actually caught it.

[Beretta]

well i tried them out tonight, WOW im a believer very nice very smooth clean holes.

the bits from ebay worked great, who knows if they'll hold up but they did great.
i tested it on some scrap mdf and some pressed wood, it did great on both.. the mdf clogged up on the 3rd hole.. not to mess the horrible mess it makes.

incidentally i was trying the drill press out for the first time also, i got it from HF for 40 bucks, im actually quite pleased with it for the money.

yes the buttons are'nt even.. i was simply punching holes to test it out.

[KissMyWookie]

Use a forstner bit.
The forstner, even with the "teeth" on the edges will make a perfectly clean cut.  It is the best type of bit to use in wood and other softer materials (MDF).

I wouldn't call MDF soft ... you can hit it with a hammer and it doesn't dent.

MDF has a hardness rating of 45-55 (Shore D) - compared to a Golf ball which has a hardness of 60 Shore D.

It is well known that MDF will blunt router bits much much quicker than regular woods, because it is so hard and dense.

[bungy]

Ok, what I meant was that forstner bits are the best bits to use in materials softer than *metal*.  But thank you for the lesson in hardness.